Tag: hyrdration

Drink when you’re thirsty. Your body is smart enough to give you a hint and a half when you’re getting dehydrated. Listen to it.

Longer Version:

There’s that old saying that you should have 8 glasses of water per day. I haven’t been able to track down exactly where that came from, only that it’s been around long enough to be common knowledge. But is that right?

As with most things, it depends. There’s no scientific evidence backing the 8 glasses per day claim. If you’re in a hotter climate, that’s probably not enough. Same if you’re training hard. If you’re thirsty, you should probably drink more. If your urine is a dark shade of yellow, it’s a good sign you’re dehydrated. (Note, taking a multivitamin or vitamin B, your urine may appear bright yellow but in this case it doesn’t signal you need more water).

Benefits of Water

Water is crucial to a proper functioning body and mind.

Here are just a few things it helps:

Fight fatigue

Keep the skin clear and healthy

Maintain good digestion

Weight loss by making you feel fuller

Improve mood

Cushion joints and cartilage

Regulate body temperature

Regulate blood pressure

Some good news is that all fluids count towards your hydration, so does food. Despite rumors to the contrary, coffee counts too.

Symptoms of Dehydration

When training, it’s a good idea to make sure you have some water about half an hour before. Drink about 8-10 ounces for every 20 minutes of exercise. And another 8-10 ounces after your workout.

Some symptoms of dehydration are thirst (duh), less frequent urination, darker colored urine, dizziness, and confusion. I don’t think you want to be dizzy and confused while you’re under a heavy barbell. Not being properly hydrated negatively impacts both aerobic and anaerobic athletic performance. When you exercise, your core temperature rises. Your body compensates for this by increasing the production of sweat. The sweat evaporates off your skin, reducing the temperature. Without proper hydration you won’t be able to sweat as much, which reduces the body’s ability to keep the core temperature under control.

Making sure you’re drinking enough water will help your body and mind function better both in and out of the gym. You don’t have to go crazy and drink 5 gallons a day. Common sense goes a long way here. Drinking when you’re thirsty is generally a good way to manage. If you’re in an especially hot environment you should probably pay more attention to your water intake. In humid conditions you’ll be more likely to notice you’re sweating. If you’re somewhere where there’s “dry heat” it may not be as apparent. The heat will evaporate the sweat off your skin before you really ever feel sweaty. For that reason, it’s especially important to make sure you’re having enough water in that climate.